Enigmatic whale sharks drift through the crystal blue waters of the Maldives. These giants are some of the most docile creatures in the ocean, yet there is little known about them. Working to uncover their secrets is Abdul Basith Mohamed from Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP). As the lead in-field coordinator, he’s searching for answers to how tiny pieces of plastic are impacting the world's largest shark.
Mohamed has always had a deep concern for the health of his home. Despite working in the insurance sector, he frequently took part in local beach clean-ups. But it wasn’t until Mohamed started freediving that he realised how the ocean had deteriorated. This prompted him to quit his job and become an intern at MWSRP. With no formal experience in marine science himself, Mohamed believes that everyone should be able to protect the environment. “In 2015, we created a network of citizen scientists who are interested in contributing to our data collection and research,” he says. Anyone can participate by documenting their encounters with whale sharks and submitting them to The Big Fish Network app. “About 70% of the data that we collected come from citizen scientists,” Mohamed says. This data is then used to further determine the plight of these creatures.
Whale sharks are filter feeders that extract their microscopic prey from the water as it passes over their gills. This makes them more likely to consume microplastics. In 2010, MWSRP began collecting faecal samples from whale sharks. Upon investigation, it was found that the majority of the plastic consumed by the sharks came from clothing fibres, and even bits of rare plastic from computer chips as well. “When ingested by marine life, it could have a detrimental impact on their health,” Mohamed says. According to research plastic can be toxic for several filter feeding species and further reduce their populations.
Many people are unaware of the threats whale sharks face, but Mohamed is giving youth in his community a first-hand look at the situation. Although a great deal of students in the Maldives will learn about the ocean at school, few will have the chance to fully experience it. Because of this, Mohamed takes school children snorkelling and shows them how to gather scientific data. While giving kids the opportunity to safely explore their aquatic surroundings, he empowers them to conserve whale sharks. “To protect something we love, we need everyone who is in the community to care about them,” Mohamed says. “Whale sharks are beautiful animals, and I would want nothing but a great future for them.”
You can contribute to the work of MWSRP here.
Footage and images by Sven Dreesbach & Kaushiik Subramaniam were used in the creation of this film.
